Events

Westminster Abbey has been the site of 40 coronations since William of Normandy was crowned there in 1066. Since then, just two monarchs did not make their coronations: 13-year-old Edward V, whose disappearance and murder in the fifteenth century has never been solved, and Edward VIII, who abdicated in 1936 before his coronation. In 1831, William IV refused to spend much money on his ceremony, then dubbed the “penny coronation.” His heir and niece Victoria had a more lavish affair in 1838, but despite the expense, it became known for its mismanagement. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, the first to be televised, drew over 20 million viewers, and King Charles III’s viewing public held steady at that number last May. Join Dr. Margery Marcus for a look at the most fascinating British royal coronations in all their symbolism and pageantry. This lecture includes a colorful PowerPoint with video clips.